chamomile valley // snk levi

one.

CHAPTER I. Anise-Hyssop

year 2018.

If you didn't know better, you would assume that you'll spend time on holiday for not less than a month, say goodbye to Hange, then go on job hunting and wish for the best. A few mini midlife crisis' then bumpy roads before dying in your sleep at an old age, hopefully.

That was how the series of events should be, not this impromptu job during vacation that is happening. You didn't even think of how you were already with a job even before knowing that you could have one.

All you needed was a livable apartment to, well, live in. And you got that, or at least you thought.

Living with Hange is an achievement on its own. Having to clean Hange's apartment that hasn't been taken care of for more than four years was like renovating the haunted attraction to liveable space. Even the thought of people actually being in the same building where Hange lives doesn't sit right with you. You were bummed to learn that you weren't able to relax like you expected after meeting Erwin. Instead having to force Hange into cleaning with you for half of the time.

Speaking of Erwin, your boss, he has been nothing but kind to you and given you more than what you could ask for. And you appreciate him for that, especially now you are able to pay for rent and still have enough for extra.

Your life is in its highest at Aelindr, even with the research team Erwin talked to you about. He got you your first job which was a resident research When he meant about research was part timing as a research teacher too, occasionally being a language teacher as well, which you are still working on.

The research team wasn't large, not even knowing that Erwin also hired Hange as the resident archaeologist. There was the guy, who has known Hange since he was still shitting his pants. Not that he hasn't stopped shitting his pants, there just wasn't a reason for him to do so.

Sometimes other people would be mentioned as part-time teammates as if it's a thing but usually whenever it was specifically for a holiday. There was the man who owns the pastry shop near the school and the couple from the café beside it. Hange said they go way back together and have been out-annoying each other ever since.

Another person is involved too, but not as a part of the group. A young boy who would sometimes wiggle his way to have a say and most of the time stay in the corner whilst listening in on the conversation.

You absolutely enjoyed the boy's presence and his similarity to things you can't name of as of the moment. His parents were both scholars who had archives on a variety of research, dating back to the 600's.

Having written data at the start of civilization was a miracle to retrieve on its own and usually no one would be able to understand what it all meant. Hieroglyphics have been found all over in Egypt then but no one can actually determine what it could mean even to this day or the next.

Those things has fascinated you, and it still fascinates you. You didn't even know that that were possible but here you were.

Here you were walking alongside Erwin who had business with them in the Alert building.

You've encountered this scenario many times- walking beside someone you know but not enough to know an opening line to a decent conversation. It kept happening that you told yourself to know any possible and acceptable lines. Even if they don't respond or won't care, you at least engaged with another human being other than Hange.

What should you even start with? Something between the lines of family and job, like-

"So, sir, are you single?" sounds like the shittiest chat up line not even a drunk person would think of saying.